Hwy 101 in Oregon

We joined 101 south from state hwy 18 after a Portland stay. 101 varies anywhere from a full on freeway to the legal narrowest of two lane state highways through several redwood sections with 25-30 mph signed curves. How narrow is it? The overspray from the white line on the side of the road is seen on the base of some trees. The road was built around the trees like a slolom course. We are 36ft plus toad which makes meeting logging trucks and 18 wheelers in these sections a little tight but OK as long as you stay between the lines.

Although you may need reservations in state parks (especially on weekends), there are many really good private parks along the way if you prefer to keep your schedule flexible.

And don't miss the Sea Lion Caves and consider a visit to the Newport Aquarium. You can check their websites for info.

BillMFl wrote:
Well just south of Astoria is the Lewis and Clark winter camp restoration. ...

That is the wettest dreariest place they could have chosen to spend the winter. The Portland area would have been much nicer. But they wanted to be able to signal any passing ship. They also spent the time making salt (evaporating sea water over fires).

One of our favorite places to visit and we even make some reservations - like Cannon Beach RV Park - a year in advance to get a spot. We have many spots reserved for next year.

The drive on the 101 is beautiful but slow with the traffic most of the time - we go in August and Sept.

Going south is preferred as you can get into (some of) the pulloffs without crossing traffic.

So much to see. We love Cannon Beach and Ecolla State Park. But the beaches are great all along the way; we walk them a lot and well behaved dogs are allowed to run free and play all together, etc. Lighthouses to see / explore. Just too much to mention here. Get a 101 guide someplace - maybe write the State for info on that; there are some good ones out there.

Tillamook Cheese is also great for ice cream and also a great vegetable stand in town along the highway (ocean side of road).

Lots of great state parks but we prefer the private parks like Cannon Beach, Newport, Winchester Bay, Bannon, etc.

See www.LaurenBarbara.com and look under the Wanderings tab on the left for Oregon and Coast for pix.

PM or email me if you would like.

Enjoy !!!

Well just south of Astoria is the Lewis and Clark winter camp restoration. And Tillamook is interesting. The drive is slow with lots of small town clutter along the way. The real scenery is at the state parks which are mostly out on points of land along the coast (right side if you are driving south). To really see the beauty of the coast you have to get off 101 and venture out on the points. Rocky headlands, green forests, breaking surf, etc. Most of the coastal towns have a somewhat shabby weather beaten look in my opinion. One of my favorite stays was on the Klamath River just north of the Redwoods NP. We were right on the river bank, lovely sunsets, easy hop to the Redwoods. We lingered there an extra few days because we liked it so much. The best coastal drive is further south down the Big Sur. If you have the time, it rivals any scenic highway in the US. And I've done most of them.

We did the Oregon coast for the first 3 weeks in September. We didn't reserve spots but in hind sight we should have. Several times we were getting the last few spots available. We thought especially by mid month that things would settle down but not so. Most operators told us they were a lot busier this year at that time than usual whatever that means. Don't worry about the hiway as it is mostly fresh paved so nice smooth blacktop almost the whole way. You just won;t make great time but if you a touristing who cares. We did most of our nights in the state parks along the way.

In May we went UP the 101 from Brookings to Westport, WA before heading inland to meet up with friends.

Don't see how much time you are devoting but there are many places to visit.

You can get a feel for where we went and enjoyed by viewing our Trip Journal in either our signature or profile.

The 101 is fine, no problem with our 40' rig, but it is not an Interstate if time is in your equation.

Enjoy your trip and safe travels.

Thanks for all the replies (so far). Looking for more if anyone wants to.

n7bsn wrote:
There some twisty bits, like in southern Washington, but the most serious issue would be the tunnel near the sea-lion caves (Oregon coast), it you are -over- 13 ft tall you might want to check that out more closely.

Tunnel has a clearance of over 14 feet. If you rub the tunnel wall it is something around 11'6". You will be fine with your setup the whole route. Enjoy.

Make sure you stop at Ruby Beach in Washington just because it is the most beautiful beach in WA, it would be a good place to stop for lunch as its day only. My favorite camp spot is Cape Disappointment before you get to the Oregon Boarder. It has two beautiful lighthouses and an interpretive center. Once your in Oregon, make sure you stop at Tillamook Cheese Factory for an ice cream cone. Any of Oregon's State Parks are pretty awesome, each having something special to offer. If you get as far as Crescent City make sure you check out the Redwoods. HAPPY TRAVELS